Veterans Affairs Canada has plans to close the only district office in Northern Ontario.
The Vancouver Sun reported that regional offices across the country will be shut down in the next couple of years. Nine offices will be shut down including Thunder Bay’s. When the office on Red River Road closes, the next closest district offices are in North Bay and Winnipeg.
The news that the district office was being closed didn’t sit well with Judith Monteith-Farrell, the regional representative for the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
“No one wants to lose their job and we’re concerned for the veterans that are in our area and rely on our services,” Monteith-Farrell said. “Veterans are allowed to go there and ask questions and get guidance on their benefits. Now that will probably be a 1-800 number.”
Monteith-Farrell heard the office could be closing last week but at the time, thepublic announcement wasn’t made. She said other closures are happening as well such as the recruitment office in Thunder Bay but there are still some announcements that haven’t been made yet.
When the dust settles, Monteith-Farrell said Thunder Bay could be losing around 200 jobs.
“The federal government said their cuts couldn’t affect Canadians and that’s obviously not the truth,” she said. “Hopefully, Canadians wake up and start demanding better from this government.”
Monteith-Farrell added they are working to lobby to the Conservative government to stop all these cuts.
